Richard Ryan
Captain Richard Ryan was a member of the British Army Special Ops. He was sent to the Scottish highlands by the government's Special Weapons Division to capture a werewolf to weaponize, but realised too late that there is more than one wolf; his squad was slaughtered, and he was seriously injured. Harry G. Wells' squad, who Ryan had secretly been using as bait, found him before being attacked by the wolves; they were saved by Megan. Ryan soon transformed into a werewolf because of his wounds, and escaped the house. Ryan, still a werewolf, survived the destruction of the farmhouse by hiding in the cellar, but Lawrence Cooper killed him afterwards with both a silver letter opener and a gun. Personality Captain Ryan was a cold, generally nonchalant man, Ryan did not usually panic under pressure, instead preferring to taunt those around him, and call them out on their mistakes. Often, he simply remained quiet, dodging questions and butting into other people's conversations with threats. Ryan also expected complete submissiveness from his men, and failed Cooper just because the latter refused to carry out an order to shoot a dog. In fact, Ryan seemed to have a senseless hatred of dogs in general, shooting his guard dog just because he could, and trying to shoot Sam because he was barking. After being infected by a Werewolf, and effectively becoming a dog inside, he and Sam seemed to grow closer. Nevertheless, Sam still attacked Ryan-Wolf when the latter was trying to kill Cooper. Ryan, for the most part, simply ignored the dogs attack. He did not like football. As with the other Werewolves, it is unclear how much of his original personality, intelligence and control was retained in Werewolf form. Although he took his time with fighting Cooper, punching him and trying to end him slowly and cruelly, he also ignored Sam the dog, who he'd seemed to hate as a human, when the latter attacked him. He did retain the control to flee when the fight turned against him after his original transformation, and hid in the cellar to escape the house's explosion - although he may have been down there for the food, or as a safe place to nurse his wounds or to hide from the other Werewolves. Relationships Ryan didn't seem to really have positive relations with anyone, instead antagonising all around him. Ryan had some respect for Lawrence Cooper when, during Special Forces selection, he beat everyone else and managed to evade capture for twenty-two hours. This respect disappeared almost instantly when Cooper refused to shoot a dog, and eventually blossomed into hate. Ryan was prepared for Cooper to die as bait for the Werewolf he was trying to capture, and specifically used Cooper and the rest of his squad as bait because he remembers Cooper. Cooper hit him, and was prepared to fight him, when the squad being bait was revealed. Despite their fight and rivalry following selection, Cooper helped Ryan when he was seriously injured, and seemed worried for him. Harry G. Wells helped Ryan when the squad found him, but took a dislike to him when he scares some of the men. He eventually loses his temper with him when Ryan reveals that the squad was bait, and hits him. He and Megan, who knew each other from the past, didn't say much to each other, but she clearly disliked him, possibly more than vice-versa. The actions of the other soldiers in Wells' squad suggest that they also seemed to dislike Ryan. Ryan himself simply ignored most of the squad. He did confront and insult Terry Milburn when the latter vomited over his head, but was stopped from grabbing him by Joe Kirkley. Biography Early life Ryan must have served in the British Army's Special Forces for at least three of four years to be a Captain, though he seemed to have been an officer for some time. Cooper's selection When Lawrence Cooper tried out for Special Forces selection, Ryan was the Captain of the group he was meant to evade, and it was up to him whether or not Cooper passed. Cooper evaded detection in the selection for 22 hours, before being tracked down by Ryan's dog. Although Cooper managed to knock out three of Ryan's men, Ryan himself jumped him, and managed to restrain him. Even so, Cooper - in Ryan's own words - went straight to the top of selection because of evading capture for so long. Ryan noted that one way to impede the enemy is to eliminate their way of tracking - the dogs. He handed Cooper his 9mm Browning HP and commanded him to shoot the dog, but Cooper refused, since the dog had done nothing to him. Ryan yells at him, and shoots the dog dead anyway, failing Cooper for not doing it himself. Cooper tries to attack Ryan, who holds him at gunpoint, and knocks the pistol from his hand. Ryan proves his skill by quickly restraining Cooper, and has him sent back to his squad. Weaponizing a werewolf At some point, Ryan was approached by the Special Weapons Division of the British Government, who had heard about the Werewolves supposedly living in the highlands of Scotland. They wanted him and his men to find and capture a Werewolf, preferably alive. The Division believed there to be only a single Werewolf, a mistake that would ruin both missions. First try On the original trip, Ryan and his men sought the advice of Megan, a zoologist living in the area - also a Werewolf. It is unknown what happened, but the men returned with no Werewolf. It is known that, during this time, Ryan tried repeatedly to kill Megan, for unknown reasons''Dog Soldiers'' DVD Commentary. Second try For his second attempt at capturing a Werewolf, Ryan used bait. He remembered Cooper - "monkey see, monkey do" - and, under the guise of a training exercise, he lured Harry G. Wells and his squad - Cooper, Witherspoon, Bruce Campbell, Joe Kirkley and Terry Milburn - into the highlands. In order to get the squad into the right position, he created a hole in the defences of the fictional enemy in the supposed war games, knowing that the men would try to get in there. Ryan personally surveyed the squad as they travelled to the gap, and told another one of his men to alert the base camp when the squad set out. Later on in the night, Ryan was surveying the area, watching for the Werewolf. Whilst one individual was watching him from a nearby hill, another charged at him from some way away. He noticed at the last moment, and whirled around towards it, but was too slow - the Werewolf ripped his chest open, splattering blood everywhere. Somehow, Ryan survived this savage attack, and returned to the nearby main camp, where he saw the other men being torn apart, though there were evidently some survivorsPeople can be heard screaming shortly before the Werewolves attack the squad (though this may be the painful transformation)[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435633/ Dog Soldiers: Fresh Meat on IMDb]. He hid behind a log. Although he survived the Werewolves, the cold got to him overnight, and he developed hypothermia. Still injured, Ryan - or one of the other survivors - shot a flare gun into the sky as a signal for help the next morning. Despite this, he remained behind the log when the squad found the ruined camp and took weapons. Wells saw the bodies, realised the mortal danger to his squad, and told Bruce to ask for an emergency air evacuation. Bruce sat down on the log to use the radio, when Ryan sat up from behind the log and pulled a gun on him, before asking for help and then collapsing, terrifying Bruce. Cooper and the semi-delusional captain recognised each other. The squad patches him up, as he rambles that there was only meant to be one (Werewolf), and that his men were torn to pieces. Unfortunately, since the squad had to travel some way to find the camp, nightfall soon comes. Ryan, who quickly recovered from his shock, warns them that 'they' won't die, so it's no use shooting. His warnings of doom and death scared some of the squad, causing Wells to take a dislike to him. When the squad heard the Werewolves in the distance, they all fled towards the treeline, with Joe helping Ryan run. Even though he needed help, the fact that he could run only minutes after being in severe shock and hypothermia, with terrible wounds, was evidence of his newfound Lycanthrope powers - namely, increased healing. Ryan and the squad eventually came to a road, and Megan, and got in her car. As the car struggled to get out of the mud, one of the Werewolves gets its arm through the sunroof, but was stabbed by Joe and leaves. Megan drove the men to the Uath Family Farmhouse. It was clear that Megan and Ryan recognised eachother. It is night when they reach the house, and the Werewolves seemed to have gone. Ryan rested for a moment as the others see if anyone is in the house, and enters with the others when they're forced to break in. Joe tried to help him walk to the door, but Ryan throws him off - his healing was so advanced, his wounds had already began to disappear. He strode in without even a limp. Siege on the house Once the soldiers settled inside the house, Ryan sat silently in a chair in the kitchen, ignoring Cooper's stares. He disinterestedly observed the soldiers as they ate and tried to dress Wells' wounds. When Cooper blew up Megan's car and found the Werewolves lurking outside, Ryan sat on the stairs as the others crowded around the front door in front of him. He did not react when one Werewolf tried to force its way through the door, and didn't help the men hold it back. When Sam the dog barking and pulling at Wells' guts began to annoy Ryan, he took an MP5 Assault Rifle and prepared to shoot the dog. Before he could fire, the sight of the dog chewing Wells' guts made Terry vomit over Ryan's head. Ryan stood up and confronted Terry, grabbing him and calling him a moron, but Joe pushed him away, and Ryan backed down. He went upstairs to the bathroom in order to wash off the vomit. After washing himself, Ryan peered at his reflection in the mirror, and cocked his head like a dog - another sign of his Lycanthropy. Ryan soon returned downstairs, and seemed to become irritated by Wells' screams at being glued back together. When Cooper listed out the members of the squad to Megan, he left out Ryan, confusing her, even though she already knew he wasn't part of the squad. Cooper began to interrogate Ryan, who answered only with cryptic clues and lies. He advised Cooper not to pursue the matter any further, and claimed that he doesn't need the squads help. Joe quickly pointed out that he'd needed them when he was injured. Cooper began to get suspicious of Ryan's quick recovery, and attempted to check his wounds. Ryan, not wanting him to know they'd healed, claimed that he simply has a strong constitution, and told him not to look. Cooper tried to see anyway, and Ryan pulled out his handgun on him. Megan hit him over the head with a nearby frying pan, and the gun shot through the window. Ryan was then restrained by Joe, his gun thrown to Spoon. Cooper managed to check his wounds, and found them to be almost fully healed. Megan and Joe tied him to the chair, with the intention to interrogate him - Megan suggested torture. Before they did anything, the Werewolves shut down the generator to the house, because, as Ryan noted, the men are afraid of the dark, whilst the Werewolves can see in it. Ryan sat, still tie up, in the chair whilst everyone else fought off the Werewolves, taunting Cooper and eventually being left alone with Sam. He and Megan also shared a knowing look. Although remaining mostly calm throughout the ordeal, Ryan did jump in his chair when a Werewolf broke through the window near Terry, and struggled to escape his bonds as Joe fought off a Werewolf. When Cooper suggested they go after the Werewolf that took Terry, Ryan pointed out (incorrectly) that he'll already be dead, and that Cooper knows. Following the siege, Ryan taunted Cooper and the other soldiers everywhere he could, claiming that they'd all die. The taunting eventually for too much for Joe, who tried to attack Ryan, but was restrained by Cooper. Eventually, Megan told him to shut up, and used his name, which Cooper hasn't told her. She was forced to admit to the squad that Ryan and his men had come before to search for Werewolves, and had used her as a guide. Cooper eventually untied him, but still had him sit down, speaking to him like a dog. He was sitting with Sam when the others were helping Joe and Spoon get the Landrover, but did not help them, despite being in the same room. Ryan sat with Spoon at the dining table when Cooper checked the Landrover. Upon returning, Cooper sat down with Ryan and continued the interrogation. With Joe dead, he asked if Ryan liked football. Ryan asked if that was relevant, angering Cooper and prompting him to yell. Cooper blamed Ryan for the deaths, and claimed he wanted to even the score. Offhandedly, Ryan also noted that, if Cooper had shot the dog during Special Forces selection, he'd be dead along with the rest of Ryan's men. Ryan, warning them that they wouldn't like what he had to say, explained to Cooper, Wells and Megan what he was really there for. Wells tried to reason with Ryan, but became angry when he learned that he and his men had been used as bait, prompting him to throw Ryan to the floor and hit him. Cooper, also angry, pulled Ryan up and held his face to his own. At this point, Ryan's eyes started to glow yellow - the transformation into Werewolf had begun. The transformation Ryan told Cooper to live and learn, as he did in selection, and was hit by Wells again. Because his body began to transform at the same time, Ryan was flung across the table, knocking a sword to the floor in the process. Ryan looked around the room, once again cocking his head like a dog, and hissed at everyone, baring his now sharp teeth. As Cooper reached for the sword, Ryan entered the last stages of transformation behind the table, and rose up, tearing off his clothes, now a huge Werewolf. Megan used her camera to disorientate him, and Wells threw a stick, hoping he'd fetch like a dog. As Wells burned him, Cooper ran him through the chest with a sword, though this didn't seem to even stall him. Spoon arrived with his assault rifle, and opened fire as Ryan, overwhelmed, leapt through the window, narrowly missing Megan with his claws Following this, Ryan hid inside the farmhouse's cellar. Underground, he avoided the blast that destroyed the house and killed the other Werewolves. Death Following the blast, Cooper went down into the cellar to find Sam. There, he was confronted by Ryan, who threw him across the room. As Cooper taunted Ryan, the latter hit him, but did not use his claws or teeth like the other Werewolves. Eventually, Ryan grabbed Coopers head and held him in place as he tried to force the sword, still stuck through his chest, into his mouth. Before he could kill Cooper this way, Sam attacked him. Whilst he wouldn't have hesitated to kill him as a human, Ryan ignored the barking dog and went back to Cooper. However, Sam had given Cooper enough time to find a good weapon - a Silver Letter Opener. Cooper stabbed Ryan in the torso with it, poisoning his body and stunning him. Cooper held his handgun up, and Ryan fell towards the barrel. He shot him once, and killed him, sending blood everywhere. Behind the scenes List of appearances *''Dog Soldiers'' *''Dog Soldiers: Fresh Meat'' Notes and references Category:Main characters Category:Antagonists Category:Werewolves Category:Dog Soldiers characters Category:Deceased Category:Members of the British Army Category:High-ranking Category:Male characters